Trump is dominating the Polls Because He is a Master Brander

You either love Donald Trump or you hate him. Regardless you have to respect what he has accomplished in business. He is probably one of the best the world has ever seen at personal branding and I think everyone can learn from him. There is a reason why his condo projects sell out and he charges more per square foot than anyone else. Or his hotels rank among the best and his golf courses continue to wow. It’s all about branding and positioning. George Ross, his former right-hand man of 47 years and Celebrity Apprentice judge recently retired from the Trump Organization and came to work for me. Although George has been coaching me for 6 years on the art of branding and marketing the Trump way, for the first time I am revealing those secrets to you. Trump Branding Lesson #1: Disrupt the Normal

If you are not shaking things up or stirring the pot you are not getting noticed. Partners or customers as usual no longer accepted business. People want more, they expect more and they want to be wowed. You don’t want to cross the line, but you want to do just enough to get noticed because when people notice you, they buy. Remember you either live in an ocean of sameness or a lake of differentiation.

Trump Branding Lesson #2: Consistency and Stay on Message.

Once you have established the mission and vision statement for your brand, you need to be keeping on point and keep hammering it. It can take up to 30-plus times for people to finally notice it or ingrain it in their brain what you stand for. That means every email, client communication, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram message has to be consistent with the brand you have set out. Right now, Trump’s message, “Make America Great Again” and everything that he does or says comes back to that messaging. That’s why he has done so well because he’s hammering that mission statement hard. Obama did the same in 2008 with “Change”.

Trump Branding Lesson #3: Apologizing is a Sign of Weakness

I always thought the word sorry was a best defense when you did something wrong but over the past few years that may have changed. Social media has changed the game so much that your apology does not circulate for 1 or 2 news cycles but haunts you forever. It stays on Google forever, it gets shared even years later and with the world being critics at every word you utter, Trump’s strategy is stand his ground and stay on message. He has survived too many things during the campaign that his new nickname should be Teflon Don. When you are branded people will give you the benefit of the doubt. Although if you are 100% wrong and it’s obvious a lack of apology can kill your business. Pick your battles wisely.

Trump Branding Lesson #4: Psychographic Branding

No one thought billionaire Donald Trump could resonate with Middle America. But someone that is amazing at branding like Trump knows what his or her audience wants and they can resonate with them. Every class of individuals from men, women, teens and the elderly require a different messaging that speaks to them rather than at them. Trump is doing that phenomenally well right now and you must do the same in order to succeed.

Trump Branding Lesson #5: How Can Be #1

It doesn’t matter who you are, small or big, or who your competitors are, if you want to be the best you have to strive to be #1. It doesn’t matter if you believe it’s impossible because you are competing against a billion-dollar corporation. At the end of the day the question you need to ask yourself is did you give a #1 effort. Don’t do your best but do whatever it takes. Whether it’s on the campaign trail, hotels, golf, TV show or condo project, Trump’s attitude is we need to be the best. It’s this type of attitude that will make people pay a premium for your brand.

Trump Branding Lesson #6: How Can I Make this Better.

Entrepreneurs who obsess on making things better are the ones who create brand sustainability in the market. The world is not an easy place but if you consistently obsess on making a better, product, service or investment you will come out on top. I guarantee you. Trump is obsessed with improving his debate skills, getting bigger crowds, sharpening up on foreign policy or anything that will give him a better chance to win. One of the worst things you can do is to be too comfortable. This is a mistake that Jed Bush has made and Hillary Clinton has made.During this election campaign both didn’t see Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders coming since both have disrupted the old school political establishment. This question on how I can I make this better should be not only at the tip of your tongue but also on every employee, partner, vendor or anyone else you come in contact with. It’s that kind of thinking that will make you dominate.

Don’t worry. In a few days I will be coming out with the best Personal and Company Branding Product on the planet that will give you an edge on any of your competitors. Stay tuned for details.

11 comments

Thank you for that very useful information. I’ll be sure to be looking for ways to incorporate these lessons into launching my projects around the globe. Looking forward to seeing you in SA again. Regards. Dee

Im all the way from South africa and just reading i already have a vision of how and where the Institution should be.By just reading i am already sold and left speechless but in a great way.Thanks for sharing with us JT

Great article. the last time you came to Botswana you mention these but in a different way, and thats when i decided to rebrand myself and also my business, which didnt have a single customer at that time. 1 year along the line, i was able to sell almost every day, without having to be financed by anybody. First i made hundreds and for now i am making thousands, and im aiming to make ten thounsands then hundred thousands in the next year. Please JT come back to Botswana, i want to start making ten thousands in my second year of business. Thank you so much for your teaching.

A lot of new info you never gave us in here JT, thank you. I liked the part about being extra careful when apologizing. The examples of how obsessed he is are very useful and explain his success well. I look forward to see your new product!